A cross-sectional study on the prevalence of cutaneous leishmaniasis  in Kabul, Afghanistan form 2020 to 2021

Shekiba Madadi; Shamim Arif; Mustafa Ansari; Ghulam Yahya Amiry; Ziaulhaq Kaihan; Murtaza Haidary

doi:10.58342/ajid/ghalibuni.v.1.I.1.4

Authors

Shekiba Madadi Kateb University https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0318-2973
Shamim Arif Kateb University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6071-1400
Mustafa Ansari Kateb University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8904-7240
Ghulam Yahya Amiry Khatam Al-Nabieen University https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4066-1949
Ziaulhaq Kaihan Ghalib University https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2622-6414
Murtaza Haidary Khatam Al-Nabieen University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7273-9088

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58342/ajid/ghalibuni.v.1.I.1.4

Keywords:

Kabul, Cutaneous leishmaniasis, Poverty, Lock of knowledge, Cultural barriers

Abstract

Background: Leishmaniasis is one of the most neglected diseases in several countries, but Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, is the largest center of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the world. In the present study, we investigated the prevalence of Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Kabul during 2021 and 2022.

[Methods: The present study was a descriptive-cross-sectional retrospective study. It was done based on the information of patients who visited the NMLCP from January, 21, 2021 to October 29, 2022, for the diagnosis of leishmaniasis. Required information including age, gender, type, number and location of the lesion, and date of the visit were extracted from the hospital database.

Results: The result of this study showed that the highest rate of CL was in 2021 and the lowest was in 2022. Most infected were children. Face lesion was the most common lesion in the patients and most of the infected patients had one lesion while others had more lesions.

Conclusion: in this study, we demonstrated that 12,292 people were infected with CL in Kabul in 2021 and 2022. The cutaneous leishmaniasis epidemicity in Afghanistan is mainly due to poverty, lack of access to health services, cultural and social barriers, lack of vector control, destruction of public health infrastructure, poor access to health services, and migration of people from non-endemic regions to endemic provinces.

Author Biographies

Shekiba Madadi, Kateb University

Medical Research Center, Kateb University, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Shamim Arif, Kateb University

Medical Research Center, Kateb University, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Mustafa Ansari, Kateb University

Medical Research Center, Kateb University, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Ghulam Yahya Amiry, Khatam Al-Nabieen University

Faculty of Medicine, Khatam Al-Nabieen University, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Ziaulhaq Kaihan, Ghalib University

Faculty of Medicine, Ghalib University, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Murtaza Haidary, Khatam Al-Nabieen University

Faculty of Medicine, Khatam Al-Nabieen University, Kabul, Afghanistan.

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